Holzer and her business partner, Barbara Roche, were inside the Engine House No. 1 Restaurant, collecting applications from a steady stream of people trying for parts as extras in the movie, Planes Trains and Automobiles, being filmed in western New York.

Up to 1,000 local extras may be needed for the film, which includes shots of travelers in motels, driving on highways or riding on a train . They will be paid $50 for a 10-hour day, plus time-and-a-half for overtime.

Besides what they called "natural-looking" extras, the casting company was looking for stand ins for stars Steve Martin and John Candy and a set of identical twins, 4 to 6 years old.

"I'm a song-and-dance man myself," said Kevin Bedford of Le Roy, a student of theater at Genesee Community College, who was handing in his application, complete with the required snapshot.

Richard Latko, a teacher from Oakfield, said curiosity prompted him to stop and submit an application.

"This was just something different to do," he said.

Roche and Holzer took an interest in Dick Bowers of Lockport, who seemed to look somewhat like Steve Martin, with his gray hair and weight of about 170 pounds.
"Somebody told me I looked like Steve Martin this morning and said I'd better get up there (to Ba­tavia)," Bowers said with a smile.

By 5:30 p.m., after an hour and a half at the Engine House, Holzer and Roche said they'd seen hundreds of would-be extras, seven sets of twins and three or four Steve Martin look-alikes.

"The hard part about this job is you can't use everybody," Holzer said.

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People chosen as extras in the film will have to be prepared to drive because Paramount Pictures has changed its headquarters from the new Batavia Sheraton to the Sheraton in Cheektowaga, Erie County.

Roche said production crews decided to shoot a lot of scenes south of Buffalo, mainly because there's more snow on the ground there and the film requires a heavy blanket of snow. If snow is predicted, it's likely to fall there, she said.

"We hope it (snow) hits hard, It will make our live easier," she said.

Crews haven't abandoned Genesee County, however. Roches said director John Hughes liked the photographs he saw of Batavia and Genesee County and plans to shoot some scenes here. He is expected to make final decisions on which extras are hired.

Some of the people chosen will be notified over the weekend if they are needed for a bus ride scene that will be shot in a town south of Buffalo on Monday.

About 50 people are needed on that bus, Roches said.

Another casting call has been scheduled for 10 am. to 2 p.m. tomorrow at the Memorial Auditorium, 140 W. Main St., Buffalo.

Hughes and Martin are expected to arrive in Buffalo over the weekend, she said.